Fuller case

[Celia M. Malm]

I've followed Helen's suggestion to create an individual "MM" or fuller case
of the patient, and this is what I've come up with. Any thoughts, rubric
suggestions, etc. would be very welcome.

Male, age 43. Barrel-like frame. Overweight, but appears strong rather than
flabby. "Looks like a Viking." Dark hair and pale eyes. Has borderline high
blood pressure and borderline diabetes (both inherited from mother).
Mind: Fickle, frequently changes his mind about what he wants. Alternates
between cheerful optimism and despondency or a feeling that he cannot
succeed or does not have the energy to try. Is enthusiastic at the beginning
of a job or project, but grows weary of it. Crankiness arises very quickly
from physical discomfort, such as fasting or tiredness. Loquacity whenever
he has ideas, especially at bedtime. Quiet around strangers and
acquaintances; opens up only to those very close to him, and can be very
talkative with them. Embarrassed and annoyed whenever wife does something he
feels may reflect badly on him, but more complacent about his children's
behavior. Propensity to tease his children with dry wit. Rare fits of
extreme and violent temper.
Head: Seborrheic dandruff on scalp. Full head of hair at age when most men
are going bald.
Face: Develops seborrheic dandruff in beard; disappears when beard is
shaved. Beard is going grey faster than hair. Mildly oily complexion-still
gets zits occasionally.
Ears: Yellow, sticky earwax. Flaky white scurf in outer ear. Somewhat hard
of hearing in certain tonal ranges. Hears/feels high-pitched tone in the
back of his head.
Nose: Large pores. Developing tendency to redness. Frequent allergies with
some sneezing and mildly stuffy nose.
Throat: Sensation that uvula is elongated. Tendency for bits food to become
lodged in the back of his throat; may take days for it to become dislodged.
Stomach: Good appetite for all types of food and drink. Has difficulty
fasting. Likes meat, but craves carbohydrates when stressed.
Urine: Must rise in middle of night to urinate.
Male: Occasional periods of intense sexual desire. Desires perverted-desire
for anal sex with female.
Respiratory: Frequently develops chronic cough in winter after a cold.
Back: Episodes of pain in lower back, more muscular than skeletal. Aching in
shoulders and back of neck. Better from warm applications and massage.
Skin: Fair-burns easily. Develops small pimples or folliculitis on arms,
legs, torso.
Sleep: Becomes sleepy early in the evening, then has difficulty going to
sleep when he finally lies down. Sometimes has difficulty falling asleep
from activity of mind, thoughts. Wants to talk instead of sleep. Wakens
between 2 and 4 a.m. and cannot get back to sleep. Sleep unrefreshing, no
matter its length.
Modalities: Worse from warm stuffy rooms, fasting, tiredness, contradiction,
mental and emotional pressure. Better from fresh air, uncovering, eating.
Thanks,
Cee

[Joy Lucas]

a few questions if I may:-

what is the degree of optimism and despondency and how quick is the alternation (what I am asking here is that many of us feel both these emotional states and not consider it anything unusual or even to be cured so just trying to get the pathology here)

you could use rubrics such as irresolute, capricious

being irritable from discomfort or lack of food is also normal, so to what degree is this present, i.e. far more than to be expected and are there example of irritability or sensitivity in other areas less 'normal'

What would set the violent temper going

His mind appears to be stimulated at bedtime and when in his comfort zone with familiarity - but in what way is he loquacious

have you looked at the uvula

not sure this is the correct place to discuss anyone's sexual preferences but there could be more there or maybe nothing, cannot tell - that is up to them for you to tell more

I may have missed other posts but what exactly is the presenting complaint.

what acutes has he been prone to over the years

Reads like Sulphur to me from what you have written but you still need to build the case more imo.

http://www.joylucashomeopathy.com
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/homeopathystudy/

[Celia M. Malm]

The degree is greater than in an ordinary person, but not quite strong
enough to really be considered "manic-depression." The alternation can take
place over a matter of hours--he may go to bed feeling depressed and wake up
cheerful, or vice versa. He is not bothered by the alterations, but the
people around him find it annoying and frustrating.
Noted.
Again, more than the average person. When he feels hungry, he *must* have
something to eat; any delay puts him in a foul temper.
Typically, feeling under emotional pressure/being criticized, but the fits
of violent temper are very rare, and the provocation is *completely*
unpredictable. That is, the *degree* of provocation seems to have little to
do with the onset, and it can be impossible to recognize when he is
approaching the "breaking point" until he has already reached. There is no
set point beyond which he can't be pushed without triggering his
temper--that "breaking point" can come anywhere, and seems to come out of
nowhere.
He wants to talk about his ideas and plans, at length.
I'm not a medical doctor, so looking at it probably wouldn't tell me much!
The rubric there is really small (contains only Caust. and Plat.), so I'm
hesitant to use it.
He is complaining about the sensation of an elongated uvula, the dandruff,
and the insomnia.
He's had Sulph, Sil, and Rhus Tox for acutes in the past, and though they
seemed well-indicated, he didn't respond to them. I'm not sure if that's an
issue with potency or some type of miasmic block or what. It's part of this
case that makes me nervous, though.

Thanks,

Cee

[Joy Lucas]

When sleep occurs as an interlude it is hard to think how to use that in a case if that is the only time the alternation happens - it is too vague, sleep makes many things happen and true alternation suggests something more obvious.

You don't need to be a doctor to look at the uvula, it is so visible anyway, and if it is actually swollen you have a different sx.

By acutes I meant what acute diseases has he been prone too. If acute rx haven't worked it is just as likely they were not the simillimum at the time rather than thinking there is a block preventing rx reaction.

But anyway Sulphur has that swollen feeling in the throat, sensation of a lump. Still seems like sulphur to me with all the other sx as well.

Joy

http://www.joylucashomeopathy.com
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/homeopathystudy/

[Celia M. Malm]

>By acutes I meant what acute diseases has he been prone too. If acute rx

Hmmmm, acutes. Really, he doesn't have a lot of acute illnesses, but here's
the ones he does get:
Pain in his lower back.
Ingrown toenails.
Cold with a cough.
That's certainly on my "short list" of remedies. But the fact that he didn't
respond to it in any way when he was given it for an acute makes me hesitant
about it.
Thanks,

Cee

[Carol Orr]

Didn't you say earlier that his personality had changed to more cuddly and
affectionate. Did he recently retire? Is he trying to get some nookie? Or is
this really an ongoing bonified change and all the other descriptions of his
personality are how he used to be?

[Celia M. Malm]

> Didn't you say earlier that his personality had changed to more cuddly and

He has undergone a change recently, but the only thing that has really
become different is that he wants to be cuddly, affectionate, and
emotionally close. No changes in lifestyle, traumas, or acute illnesses to
provoke the change, and he isn't using this as a way to get nookie. It seems
to be a genuine change in what he wants emotionally (and frankly, I find it
annoying, because he's "trained" me, over 22 years of marriage, *not* to
expect that level of emotional closeness and affection!).

I'm not sure if this recent change should have a huge impact on the rubrics
or not. Someone mentioned that Nat-m has this "distant" phase and
"affectionate" phase, and Nat-m is high on my list of potential remedies. If
I were to add rubrics for this, what would you suggest?

Thanks!

Cee

[Jean Doherty]

crocus has the sensation that uvula is elongated and has frequent mood changes. It has skin symptoms but not the ones mentioned here. Is cheerful at night. Happy and affectionate then angry?/
It is a remedy I would like to know more about as thinking of it for 2 clients. RWIW, Jean

[Celia M. Malm]

Crocus did come up on a new "short list" of remedies when I re-repped today,
but it wasn't as strong as some of the other possibilities. I do I like it
when people post MMs here, though--they tend to be much more thorough than
the MMs I otherwise have access to.

My new "short list" is: Acon, Aur, Canth, Cocc, Croc, Hyos, Iod, Lyc, Merc,
Nat-m, Phos, Plat, Psor., and the strongest contenders on that list are:
Aur, Iod, Lyc, Nat-m, Phos, Plat.

Cross-referencing the two lists I've made, the only ones on both lists are
Nat-m, Phos, and Psor.

I'm thinking that Nat-m may be the one. Now I have to chose a potency. Any
suggestions on potency for someone who has a history of being "resistent" to
medicines (not just homeopathic ones, herbals too).
Thanks,

Cee

[Joy Lucas]

To treat this person successfully you have to be more of an unprejudiced observer, otherwise your own feelings will get in the way.

Joy

http://www.joylucashomeopathy.com
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/homeopathystudy/